West Indies play an overseas Test, Brian Lara scores a hundred, West Indies lose. Some scripts are very predictable, and the Lahore Test further underlined how much ground West Indies need to cover to rank among the top Test teams, especially when playing overseas. In 49 overseas Tests in the last nine years, West Indies have a shocking record of 38 defeats and only five wins, of which four were against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.

Through most of these defeats - and some home setbacks too - Lara has continued to score quite prolifically. His 122 at Lahore was his 14th hundred in a West Indian defeat, easily the highest. (Sachin Tendulkar is in second place with eight.) Lara's runs in defeats is much higher than the rest of the competition too. West Indies' continued struggle in Test cricket suggests Lara will add more runs to that tally of 5267 before he is done.